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Reconfigurable payload systems (RPS) with operational load envelopes for aircraft and methods related thereto

  • US 10,202,193 B2
  • Filed: 06/02/2017
  • Issued: 02/12/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2014
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method of modifying a fuselage of an existing aircraft having an unmodified aircraft loads envelope with a reconfigurable payload system (RPS) that comprises one or more external payload attachment features configured to be mechanically coupled to extend across a given section of a fuselage of an aircraft, the one or more external payload attachment features being configured to be attached to external payload components, external fairings, or a combination thereof, where the external payload attachment features comprise one or more mounting adapter sections, where the method comprises:

  • defining a baseline reconfigurable payload system (RPS) configuration that is configured to support a given survey of selected interchangeable external payload components, interchangeable internal payload components, and/or interchangeable external aerodynamic fairings;

    determining an RPS loads envelope of total permissible aircraft loads by fuselage locations for the baseline reconfigurable payload system (RPS) configuration, the total permissible aircraft loads including the sum of unmodified aircraft loads for the existing aircraft together with RPS aerodynamic loads, RPS internal payload loads, and RPS external payload component loads by fuselage location;

    providing a modified aircraft by modifying the aircraft fuselage with the baseline RPS configuration to accommodate the RPS loads envelope, the RPS loads envelope including aircraft load limits that are greater than the load limits of the unmodified aircraft loads envelope of the existing aircraft;

    defining new operational RPS load limits for the modified aircraft that are within the RPS loads envelope; and

    modifying the existing aircraft fuselage by mechanically attaching the one or more external interchangeable mounting adapter sections to an exterior of the aircraft fuselage to extend across the given section of the aircraft fuselage of the aircraft;

    where each of the one or more external and interchangeable mounting adapter sections comprise multiple separate interchangeable mounting adapter sections that each has opposing first and second sides;

    where the second side of each of the multiple separate interchangeable mounting adapter sections is provided with at least one of;

    one or more payload rails provided on the second side of the mounting adapter section and having multiple regularly-spaced rail fastener locations provided on each rail that are configured to align with and be selectably attached to mating payload fastener locations of an interchangeable external payload component that has a payload fastener location spacing that is complementary to the regular spacing of the rail fastener locations, ormultiple payload hardpoints provided on the second side of the mounting adapter section that are each configured with a hardpoint fastener location with the payload hardpoints being spaced apart from each other such that the spacing between the hardpoint fastener locations is regularly spaced and configured to align with and be selectably attached to mating payload fastener locations of an interchangeable external payload component that has a payload fastener location spacing that is complementary to the regular spacing of the hardpoint fastener locations;

    where the method further comprises mechanically attaching a first side of each interchangeable mounting adapter section to the aircraft fuselage such that the multiple separate interchangeable mounting adapter sections are mechanically attached to the aircraft fuselage in adjacent end-to-end manner to extend longitudinally across the given section of the aircraft fuselage; and

    where the method further comprises at least one of;

    mechanically attaching the multiple interchangeable mounting adapter sections to extend across the given section of the aircraft fuselage such that the rail fastener location spacing remains regular across the payload rails of the different mounting adapter sections, and aligning and attaching the mating payload fastener locations of the interchangeable external payload component to mating regularly-spaced rail fastener locations on two or more of the multiple separate mounting adapter sections to simultaneously attach the mating payload fastener locations to the mating regularly-spaced rail fastener locations to mechanically attach the interchangeable external payload component to the aircraft fuselage with the mounting adapter sections positioned between the aircraft fuselage and the interchangeable external payload component and with the rails of the two or more mounting adapter sections supporting the interchangeable external payload component in a position spaced apart from the aircraft fuselage, ormechanically attaching the multiple interchangeable mounting adapter sections to extend across the given section of the aircraft fuselage such that the hardpoint fastener location spacing remains regular across the payload hardpoints of the different mounting adapter sections, and aligning and attaching the mating payload fastener locations of the interchangeable external payload component to mating regularly-spaced hardpoint fastener locations on two or more of the multiple separate mounting adapter sections to simultaneously attach the mating payload fastener locations to the mating regularly-spaced hardpoint fastener locations to mechanically attach the interchangeable external payload component to the aircraft fuselage with the mounting adapter sections positioned between the aircraft fuselage and the interchangeable external payload component and with the hard points of the two or more mounting adapter supporting the interchangeable external payload component in a position spaced apart from the aircraft fuselage.

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